top ten albums

i've decided to compile a top ten list of the best albums. at least in my opinion. these are not in any specific order. i picked these ten albums, because i enjoy EVERY single song on each album. i suggest giving every one of these albums a listen.

Antony and the Johnsons- I am a Bird Now
http://www.amazon.com/am-Bird-Now-Antony-Johnsons/dp/B000777J2S
Antony's voice is absolute beauty. there is no possible way to explain it. Antony is not for everyone, either. Hïr singing frequents into very high ranges, and ze uses molto vibrato. Hïr lyrics, deeply, profoundly touching.

Björk- Homogenic
http://www.amazon.com/Homogenic-Bjork/dp/B000002HPV/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1307070009&sr=1-1
i've loved this album ever since i first heard the song Bachelorette back in 1997. and the older i get, the more the entire album speaks to me. yet another artist whose voice is not for everyone, Björk consistently gives me goosebumps. this album flows together, something akin to one of the sagas.

Sigur Rós- Ágætis byrjun
http://www.amazon.com/Agaetis-Byrjun/dp/B004B5W27Y/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1307070257&sr=1-1-fkmr0
It is impossible for me to describe the love i have of this album. it's like walking into a crisp white snowy forest. from Jonsi's voice, to the instrumental choices, my breath is taken away by the power of this album. it is impossible for me to listen to "only" one song.

Tori Amos - Boys for Pele
http://www.amazon.com/Boys-Pele-Tori-Amos/dp/B000002J88/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1307070644&sr=1-1
This album is an old reliable for me. i can always fall back to tori, and particularly this album. this album is like comfort food. a big plate of macaroni and cheese. tori has the distinct ability to send me into singing fits. it is impossible for me not to sing along.

M.I.A. - Kala
http://www.amazon.com/Kala-M-I/dp/B000TJ6CM2/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1307070888&sr=1-1
Most definitely my favorite hip-hop album. her voice, and her words, have the power to move mountains. she tackles issues that most people don't even know anything about, but she can still get those non-understanding to dance. she is powerful, intelligent, and ultra impressive.

Smashing Pumpkins - Melon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
http://www.amazon.com/Mellon-Infinite-Sadness-Smashing-Pumpkins/dp/B000000WA4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1307071141&sr=1-1
Yet another "old reliable" album. this was, in fact, the first CD i ever (sort of) possessed. the pumpkins were (are?) innovative, and this album has as much import to me, as it did when i first heard billie corgan's voice over the radio.

Vitalic - OK Cowboy
http://www.amazon.com/Ok-Cowboy-Vitalic/dp/B0007Q6PW4/ref=sr_1_3?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1307071304&sr=1-3
Many of you probably don't know i'm into electronica. well, i am. particularly french electronica. and Vitalic is, at least as of today, the cream of the crop for me. there are a plethora of choices, but vitalic, and the way he uses his sounds. astounding.

Justice - †
http://www.amazon.com/Cross-Justice/dp/B000QCUB8I/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1307071507&sr=1-1
Ok, so, I had to pick another electronica album. Justice makes my ears super happy. and this album always gets me to dance. it could easily be considered an electronic opera. particularly D.A.N.C.E., which is essentially an homage to michael jackson.

Regina Spektor - Songs
http://www.amazon.com/Songs-Regina-Spektor/dp/B000009F38/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1307071668&sr=1-1
I first heard Regina's voice on a clip about her on NPR several years ago. I was driving between topeka and lawrence, and i heard a clip of the song Daniel Cowman and fell immediately in love. her voice, and her pianist abilities are absolutely brilliant. an aside, this album can easily be tied with Soviet Kitsch, or 11:11.

Godspeed You! Black Emporer - Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven
http://www.amazon.com/Lift-Skinny-Fists-Antennas-Heaven/dp/B00004ZD69/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1307071937&sr=1-2
I have my brother Michael to thank for introducing me to GY!BE, and I am absolutely grateful. this lengthy album is full of beauty and terror, all wrapped up in a dual disc package. the instruments reach fevered pitch, followed by eerie silences. the type of album that raises the hair on the back of your neck.

there you have it. my top ten. and i could probably pick more, but these ten, embody everything i love about music. this is, also, not a representative sample of all the types of music i listen to, only the albums that i can listen to, on a loop, for days on end.